Did you think Uber was tolerant and free of discrimination? Well, think again! The ride-hailing giant has agreed to pay a whopping $10 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging gender and race discrimination within the company.
We asked our Los Angeles discrimination attorney from the JML Law to review the multi-million dollar lawsuit that was filed by two women who described themselves as “Latina software engineers.”
Race and gender discrimination at Uber
Uber has agreed to settle the discrimination lawsuit for $10 million, offering compensation for financial and emotional damages and harm suffered by about 285 women and 135 men of color who are past and current Uber employees. A filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California disclosed the settlement earlier this week.
Besides the generous settlement, the ride-hailing company has also pledged to reform its system for compensation, reviews, and promotions of employees. The settlement put an end to the exhaustive legal battle stemming from October 2017.
On October 24, 2017, two women Roxana del Toro Lopez and Ana Medina filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber alleging gender discrimination. The action was brought in the Superior Court and district court. As stated in the lawsuit by the plaintiffs, Uber’s employee ranking system was biased and discriminative toward employees on the basis of their sex and skin color. The lawsuit said that the system was “not based on valid and reliable performance measures,” and discriminated against individuals if they were not men, white or Asian employees.
As a result of the alleged acts of discrimination at Uber, the women claimed they had suffered financial damages due to losing out on earnings, promotions and benefits.
How to file a discrimination claim in Los Angeles
If you have been discriminated against at Uber or any other company in Los Angeles or elsewhere in California, you are probably wondering how to file a discrimination claim in the state.
Luckily, our Los Angeles discrimination lawyer is going to spell out the process of filing a discrimination complaint in California. Let’s cut to the chase. In Los Angeles and other cities across the state, you can file a claim alleging discrimination either with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Plain and simple. There are only two agencies that can be trusted and that handle discrimination claims.
The second thing you need to understand about filing a discrimination claim in California is that you do not have to file the same claim with both agencies, as they share the so-called “work-sharing agreement,” allowing them to cooperate when handling claims from California residents. Meaning: filing a claim with both agencies would be a waste of time.
Tips for filing a discrimination claim in California
If you know a thing or two about anti-discrimination laws in the U.S., you are probably aware that federal law offers fewer protections for employees working for smaller employers. But if you are in California, you can bring a claim even against smaller employers.
Therefore, if you have been discriminated against in a workplace where there are between 5 and 14 employees, you should bring a discrimination claim with the DFEH. Our Los Angeles discrimination attorney at the JML Law explains that the EEOC enforced federal law, and thus does not accept claims from employees of the workplace with 14 or fewer employees.
It is highly advised to get a free consultation from a skilled attorney before filing a discrimination complaint in California. Contact the JML Law by calling our offices at 818-610-8800 or send us an email.